2 
o 
s, where it is often 
n 
h tiv 
of a rosy and sometimes of a white colour. The stamens are very 
numerous, yellow, tipped with purple. The fruit consists of a dry ovate 
or mitre-shaped capsule covered with soft spinules, brown or green when 
ripe, splitting into two valves, on the inside of which are attached 
numerous (30 to 40) seeds. ese seeds are about the size and shape 
of grape seeds, and covered with a waxy substance (the testa}, which 
readily stains the fingers a red colour. This waxy substance covering 
the seeds yields the Annotto of commerce, and gives the plant its chief 
industrial value. 
nnotto plants are readily raised from seed, and are of a hardy 
character. They prefer cool, moist situations, such as the banks of 
8 had i 
flourishing in the lowlan It appears to be well adapted for moist 
warm situations, with a mean annual temperature of 75° to F 
It requires an abundant rainfall, an is not suitable for arid 
of 48 Roucou plantations, employing 1,044 labourers. The export in 
“a consisted of 700,500 kilos of prepared Roucou. [Flag Annatto. | 
writing in 1881, remarks as follows :—“ Though the Annatto plant is a 
native of British Guiana, and abounds on the banks of some of the 
